Thirteen Dirty
Sienna
Waking up to the sound of grunts is... awkward to say the least. I keep my eyes closed tight and try to keep my breathing steady, but each one sends a weird little bolt of lust through me. It’s growly, deep, and definitely not something I should be listening to right now.
Is he touching himself next to me?
Yet as I listen closer, I realize the sounds are coming from the floor, not the bed, and they’re too far apart to be someone moaning with pleasure. What the hell?
Sitting up, I laugh to myself when I see this gorgeous man doing pushups in those sinful grey sweats. The lines of his back are begging for my hands to run up and down them, and that’s not touching the way his triceps flex with every movement.
There’s no denying the fact that Osiris Soto is the hottest man I’ve ever seen... and he’s in my bedroom calling me his wife.
The adrenaline rush catches me off guard. I got used to it when he was still locked up and this was all just a fantasy, but I’d been pretty convinced when he showed up at my front door unannounced that the fantasy was dead and buried. Sure, I’d get a few butterflies and daydream about a few what-ifs, but in reality? I wasn’t taking him seriously.
Maybe I should’ve been.
“Good morning,” I say softly. “How long have you been up?”
His head snaps up to meet my gaze, his eyes locked with mine as he grins and does five more pushups to finish his rep. “Uh... like thirty minutes. You sleep good?”
Looking a little closer, I can see the beads of sweat all over his skin. Thank god I have a blanket thick enough to cover the way I clench my thighs. “Not too bad. You?”
“Slept like a fucking rock last night. I didn’t even dream about sex or dinosaurs.” I watch the muscles in his arms bulge when he leans back to brace on them, his knees bent casually like he has all the time in the world. “Have you read all those books on your shelf?”
He nods toward the corner bookshelf in my room with an expression that makes me think he peeked at them. Every single one of them is a deranged, dark romance full of smut and absolutely terrible things.
“Yeah, I’ve read them all. Some of them twice,” I admit, refusing to be embarrassed. “Do you like to read?”
Nodding, he licks his lips like he’s dying to say more. “I’ve read most of the fantasy books they offered in prison. Those seem a little different though... can I read one?”
“I wouldn’t advise it,” I laugh. “They’re um... probably a lot different than what you’re used to. We can go to the bookstore when I get off work today, though.”
“I want to read your favorite. Which one have you read the most?”
Oh god. Yeah, I can’t... can’t do that. He can’t do that. Sliding off the bed, I try to shrug like I’m not internally panicking. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell.”
“Mmhm.” He hops up, moving over to the shelf with a smirk that says he sees right through me, then pulls off one with a cracked spine. “What’s this about?”
Si doesn’t wait for me to respond, he flips it over to read the back of Darling Devil by Kady Ash.
The shit in that book... oh my god.
Keeping my head high, I lean against the wall. “It’s about a rock star who blackmails his therapist into sex.”
Wide eyes meet mine, but that devilish grin stays put. “No shit? That’s fucking dark,” he laughs. “Do they end up together in the end?”
Screw it. “I guess you’ll have to read it to find out.”
I watch him move to set it on his side of the bed before he pulls out some jeans from his bag. “I’ll let you know my thoughts. There’s no way the author pulled out a happily ever after for a guy that did something like that.”
“He also put her on her knees backstage and refused to take no for an answer,” I add. “Book boyfriends are a different breed.”
His pants slip from his hands as he stares at me in shock. “And we... like him?”
There isn’t a trace of judgment in his tone, just raw curiosity — which is the only reason I don’t hesitate to answer.
“Like is an understatement. We love him.”
“Love?” He glances at the book again and chews his lip like he’s contemplating jumping into bed and starting it now. “I’m a little jealous, but now I’ve got to read this.”
Smiling lightly, I tap the cover. “He’s not real, Osiris. Just remember that.”
“I know how real book characters can feel sometimes, but I also know he can never touch you so...” He steps in a little closer and lets his hand fall to my hip. It surprisingly doesn’t feel salacious though, only full of promise. “Least I have that over him.”
Si kisses my cheek again, and then steps away to change into his jeans as I seriously wonder why the hell I’m not all over this man. But there’s still something keeping me from crossing that line... I’m just not sure what it is.
Leaving him be, I start my shift and get immersed in emails until he’s opening the front door and saying goodbye.
Squinting, I turn to look at him. “Where are you going?”
“On a walk so I don’t drive you crazy. Be back later, Greg.”
This fucking guy.
His flirty smile disappears with the click of the door, but for the first time, I feel myself actually relax. If he recognizes when I’m a little overwhelmed by his presence and keeps a good attitude as he sees his way out, this might not be the worst thing in the world.
But as the morning turns into the afternoon and he’s still not back, I find myself both worried about him and missing him. It’s almost too quiet in here, too peaceful.
What’s happening to me?
I brush it off until the adrenaline rush about knocks me over when he comes back inside.
First of all, he’s filthy. Grass, dirt, sweat... absolutely filthy.
And second, the smile he’s giving me is enough to knock anyone off their feet.
“You look like you missed me.”
I watch him lift his shirt up in the front to wipe the sweat off his face, his glistening abs making me want to crawl over and lick them to the point that I nearly do it.
“I did, actually.” I swallow thickly. “What... were you doing?”
“Do you know the Winchesters across the street?” He points diagonally toward their house. “I guess their usual guy never showed up to cut their lawn so I offered to help them out. You should go see it, I did pretty damn good. They gave me fifty bucks and asked me to come back in two weeks. He also called the Carnahans down the street and they want me to come by tomorrow.”
He looks so proud of himself it’s hard not to feel it too. “That’s amazing,” I laugh. “No wonder you’re covered in grass.”
Glancing down at the state of himself, he shrugs. “Just a little bit. That mean you don’t want a hug?”
He moves closer like he’s going to grab me, and surprisingly... I walk right into it.
I don’t care that he’s a little damp, he smells like deodorant and freshly cut grass as I press my cheek against his chest.
“Damn,” he whispers. “I didn’t think you’d actually hug me. Guess you really did miss me, huh?”
He kisses the top of my head, sending butterflies down my spine straight to my toes.
“I did, but don’t push it,” I tease. “So you’ll be gone again tomorrow?”
“Yeah. They’re the corner house, so they have a bigger lot than the Winchesters. Probably be gone all morning, but I’ll come home for lunch with you. They originally wanted me to come now, but I guess a storm is coming?”
“I heard. It’s supposed to last well into the night, actually. We get those pretty frequently.”
I don’t miss the immediate tension all throughout his body as he frowns over at my window. “All night?”
Taking a half step back, I watch his face. “Yes. Sometimes it’s a false alarm, but we do live in an active storm zone. I have a basement believe it or not, so we have somewhere to go if it gets bad or tornados form.”
“Didn’t even know it was like that in Colorado. Is this that tornado zone area or is it usually just something that happens sometimes?”
His fingers move like he’s trying to pop them, but not applying any real pressure, and I know without a doubt what I feel from him is anxiety.
“We’re so close to Kansas that most people do consider us part of Tornado Alley, but I’ve only experienced a handful of them in my whole life. It’s okay,” I assure him. “Today’s storms aren’t supposed to get that bad.”
Nodding, he zones out a little like he’s watching the wind speed up outside, then shakes himself out of it. “Good to know. I’m gonna shower while I can then in case we lose power. Should we order in?”
I had plans to cook for him tonight, but he’s right. I’d rather order now than risk the power going out while I’m cooking. I’d never ask a delivery driver to bring me something in the middle of a storm. “Yeah, I’ll order while you clean up. I’m just about done with work for the day.”
“Okay, cool. We’ll hang out.”
The smile on his face is a little forced as he disappears into the bathroom, but I don’t take it personally. I know he wants to hang out with me, he’s just trying to put on a brave face.
I wonder why he’s so scared of storms of all things? They’re not my favorite by any means, but I can tell this is deeper than that for him.
Sounds like I’ll just have to distract him. Food, tv, stories, whatever it takes. If I can bring him a little bit of comfort tonight... I will.
I think he deserves it.